Family

Yes...I have about a million Christmas themed pictures...and a few posts to go along with them (including one of the most adorable Christmas programs ever).  Bear with me.  They will come.  Eventually.  But we've been lucky enough to have every single member of our family at our house at some point this past week!  That is a Christmas miracle, and I thought it warranted a post entirely designated to the family we love and have enjoyed seeing.

First and foremost.  Here it is.  THE picture of THE moment I have been waiting for since July.  Getting to hold my newest nephew for the first time!!!

Confession:  I totally hogged him.  They managed to get here before Nana (had she already been here I would have given her the Nana right of the first snuggle...but she wasn't).  And he was sick.  And I rocked him to sleep.  And it just didn't seem right to upset a poor, sweet, sick baby.  So I kept him.  I feel a little guilty.  

Confession: I don't really feel that guilty...

While I held (hogged) T, Allie and Ryan played with H.  H seemed to really enjoy playing with his cousins.  So much so that even though he isn't much of a hugger, he wouldn't stop hugging them.

 Allie and Ryan - apparently being "big" kids and "too cool" - got tired of the incessant hugs quickly.  We - the adults - thought it was adorable and kept trying to get pictures.

Cheesing for the camera.

 "No more, Auntie Kim!"

 During the brief window that we had the whole family in the same area, we gathered for family pictures.

A test shot.  Notice Allie holding her "precious babies" - a helicopter, and airplane, and a mini princess pail.

Photo credit: Heather Ann's Keepsake Photography

 Family pictures were...family pictures!  There were, of course, moments of kids crying and stressed parents and closed eyes and funny faces and never everyone looking in the same direction at the same time.  But it was wonderful, and we got some great pictures.

Can you see what we used to distract the kiddos?  Though it didn't work on the youngest...

Photo credit: Heather Ann's Keepsake Photography

 It was a whirlwind less than 24 hours with Lucas' side and then a VERY long day poking around a VERY quiet house waiting for my family to show up.  They came by train.  They had lots of delays (one would think weather - which did delay the first train - but the second, perhaps more frustrating, delay was the result of the train that was coming to pick them up in Chicago hitting a tractor.  How often can you use that as an excuse for being late?  They finally arrived and we have been enjoying several days with them.

Playing games with Uncle Matt.

 Naptime with Papa.

 A bunch of hams.

 Reading with Papa.

 Love.

 Sadly, my family leaves tomorrow (I'm not sure how long would be long enough...but I know they have never stayed that long yet).  Happily, we only have one (VERY) quiet day before we will get to see all of Lucas' family again (including extended family).  So the fun continues!

Sadly, I was having so much fun BEING with family, that there are many members of the family not pictured here because I forgot to get out my camera!  So Lala, Uncle G, Aunt Mindy, Uncle Logan, Uncle Nic and Aunt Ariel...I'm sorry.  Gigi refuses to be in pictures...so I won't take the blame for that absence :)

We are so blessed to have such wonderful families and to get to spend time with them this Christmas!!